Everything Is Not What It Seems
by wannamakeyoufeelbeautiful
Summary: When Alex dies, Max and Justin are left hurt, confused, and lost. When they receive a box from Alex's agent they finally get a chance to truly understand what happened, but the boys start to wonder...is Alex really gone?
1. prologue

It has been two months since Alex died. Yes, My sister. I haven't been the same ever since. When She died It was a few days before I was supposed to get married. But I called the wedding off and broke up with my fiancé. And let me tell you It has been so hard on our family. But especially for me and Max.

"Justin, come here someone wants to talk to you" Mom said

"Hello Justin I am Didi, Alex gave me this big box to give to you and Max" She said

"Okay" I say

"ONLY you and Max should set eyes on what is inside and no one should talk of it except between you and Max" Didi said

"Alright" I say and take the big box into my room.

"Max" I yell but he is already walking in

"Are you ready to do this?" I ask

"Yes" He says

"Are you sure" I ask

"I am ready" He says

**A/N – If I get three reviews from three different people then I will continue on with this story but this was a nice prologue right? **


	2. Open first

I slowly but carefully cut the top of the box. I look inside and there are smaller boxes. They are all labeled. I open the one on the top that says in marker (OPEN FIRST PLEASE).

I open the box and find two letters and a golden heart necklace. One letter is labeled Max, One Justin. I hand Max his and open mine.

_Dear Justin, _

_The box I gave you has lots of letters mostly for you and Max…..there are a few for Harper and a few for Mom and Dad. The one important thing you get out of this letter is that I love you. As my brother forever. After you read my first one please read Max's. I hope that Max and you really understand why what happened ending up happening. Keep reading the letters as I instruct. I want you to read the next box that says (I LOVE) tomorrow you and Max should always open the boxes together. _

_I LOVE YOU,_

_Alex_

I read the whole letter with tears in my eyes. It was so….Alex.

**MAX POV **

Justin handed me a letter I opened it.

I read

_Dear Maximillion, _

_Where do I start? I want to tell you that The way I died was the way I wanted to and the time I wanted to go was then. The one thing is that I love you. You're my brother and nothing will ever change . So throughout the whole box I give you and Justin, remember we are buddies forever. You are the person that know me best even more then Justin. That is why I want you to have the golden heart necklace._

_Love, _

_Alex _

I could not take it. I burst out sobbing. Why did Alex do that to herself. I loved her so much.

**JUSTIN POV**

Max was sobbing I went over and hugged him. I read his letter and handed him the gold necklace. He put it on and promised himself he would Never take it off. NEVER.

**A/N- With three more reviews I will right more!**


	3. My favorites

**JUSTIN POV**

It was 6:30 in the morning but I ran to Max's room and shook him awake. He got up and we went to get the next box. We picked up the box she wanted us to open (I LOVE). I opened it. And stared. There was a letter labeled Max and one labeled Harper and one labeled Justin.

I handed Max his letter, and opened mine

_Justin, _

_This is a box filled with things that meant a lot to me. They are all labeled for who gets what. _

_Love Ya _

_Alex _

I read it again. I wanted to see what was mine in the box. But I waited for Max to finish reading his

**MAX POV **

_Maxi, _

_This box has stuff that meant a lot to me. It is all labeled for who gets what. _

_Remember your one in a Maximillian, _

_Alex _

I looked up ready to see what was mine.

Justin emptied out the remains of the box

It held Alex's wand, One of the T-shirts Alex designed, The doll house from when she was younger, He shoes from her Quinceañera,Alex's diary, Alex's Drum sticks, and a smaller version of the drawing for her school mural.

"The doll house, the T-shirt and the mural go to Harper" Justin says

"The shoes, The diary, and the drumsticks are for me" He says

"And that leaves her…" Justin starts

"Wand" I say under my breathe

I took it and held it.

"Boys" mom called out we have an early special visitor" Mom calls out

I look at the clock it reads 8:00 already! We rush down the stairs and then I stop short when I see Amanda. She is my girlfriend..but ever since Alex died we kinda have been on and off

"Hey Maxi" She says

"Hi" I say

She giggles

"I have something I need to tell you" I say

"What?" She asks

"I think it is best if we just end our relationship" I say

"Why?" She asks sweetly

"Well….." I say

"WELL WHY?" She screams at me

I yell back getting mad to

"CAUSE I AM IN LOVE WIH ALEX" I scream

I look around and everyone is staring at me…

**A/N If I get to 12 reviews I will keep writing **


	4. When the truth emerges

**A/N- 23 REVIEWS! Wow that was way more then I was expecting (: Oh yeah sorry its been so long!**

**MAX POV- **

I run up stairs with Justin hot on my tail. We run to the corner with the boxes wondering when we open the next one. There's a small box on top that is labeled "When the truth emerges."

"That's odd" I don't remember that one I say. I grab for it and cut it open. Justin grabs the letter and reads it aloud.

_Dear Maxi, and Justin, _

_This box contains your passports and $1,000 dollars. Use the money to buy plane tickets to Italy….its time you learned a little about our ancestry…..weird I know me wanting to learn….but this will help you in your quest for the truth. After you arrive in Italy open the next box. _

_I love you both! _

_Alex_

_p.s. Nice job on dumping that slut max…..loved it33_

"Woah" I whisper.

"That's so creepy and so Alex" Justin says

"Ready to start our adventure?" I ask him

"Oh yeah" he says. "Italy watch out here comes the Russo trio" Max says aloud to no one but himself but he had a feeling Alex wherever she was could hear him.

**A/n- sorry really short again but I need to get back into writing this its been almost a year :O**


	5. Flying high

**A/N this will be a bit longer than the last ones have been. Sorry if it's a bit rushed.**

**Max POV**

"Mom you have to let us go….please" I practically begged her. Justin and I had went to our parents to ask them to let us go. "Mom this is what Alex wants" I whimper as tears come to my eyes.

"Maxi…..you can't I'm so sorry" Mom says. She doesn't get it. We have to go. This is going to lead us to what really happened to Alex. "Max you can't you'll miss way to much school and you just need to accept the fact that Alex is gone" she whispers the last part.

"ACCEPT THE FACT THAT SHE IS GONE?" I yell. I mean I just lose it. "Mom, Alex and I were so close. Closer then she was with Harper. So No I am not going to accept the fact that she is gone…..not until I get an explanation at least." I yell at her. I break down Crying.

"Mom you need to let us do this, you just don't understand." He says with a hushed tone.

He heads towards the stairs and I weakly get up and follow him. We go to his room. He has the magical bag all packed with our things and the box. He pulls the strings to close it. Then he opens the door to his rooms terrace. He throws down the fire escape ladder. Without one word climbs to the ground and motions for me to do so. I climb over the railing very carefully and get onto the ladder. When I hit the ground we head towards the nearest subway to get to the airport.

"Flight 4354 to Rome, Italy is now boarding" The lady working the desk calls over the speakers.

"That's us" Justin says as we get up to get in line. We get our boarding pass checked and scanned. When we get to our seats Justin goes all the way into the window seat so I end up in the middle. Right before the safety video comes on an old lady plops herself into the seat next to me.

"Well Hello Dear" She nudges me and says

"Hi" I say not really wanting to engage in conversation but this lady leaves me no choice.

"I'm Adeline Dorris, but you can call me Adeline." She says while she situates herself into the seat.

"I'm Max Russo an-" I start to say but Adeline interrupts me.

"Max Russo….your Alex's brother?" she says with a smile.

"Y-yes how did you know?" I ask her.

"Oh Alex was such a great girl…really enjoyed when she visited me….but those days are gone know…She told me all about you and your family…you in particular but she told me I'm not allowed to say much to you if I ever met you" she says. My eyes start to tear up.

"D-did she really talk about me most?" I stumble over the words.

"Oh yes….she would always tell me all sorts of things….but especially how much she loved having you as a brother and how if you weren't her brother how she wouldn't be able to manage." She says.

"Really?" My face brightens.

"Yes of course" She says

"What else did she talk about?" I ask. I need to know.

"Oh dear, I can't. I've said to much already" She says. She opens her book and puts her head phones in and doesn't acknowledge ne once more on the flight. Some where between New York and the Atlantic Ocean I fell asleep. I didn't wake up until we were just about to land. I looked around and stretched. I looked over to talk to Adeline but she was gone. Wait where was she? You had to be in your seat when the plane lands.

"Finally here." Justin Moans as wakes up and shakes out the tiredness. We land at about 7:00 PM Italian time so its about 1 PM back in the states. Once we get off the plane and through security we find a café to eat in. I sit down and take out my phone. I have about a total of 22 missed calls, texts, and messages from Mom and Dad. I don't even bother with them.

"I'm not hungry can we just find our hotel and crash?" I ask him.

"Good Idea" Justin says. On the ride over I tell Justin about Adeline. "Alex must have really trusted her if she knew so much." He says. I think about it for a minute.

"Your right" I say.

"Siamo al vostro albergo signore" the cab driver says. Justin hands him some funny looking money.

"Grazie" Justin and I mumble. We stumble up the steps and find our room. I plop myself down on the couch and reach for the bag. I open it and find the boxed marked Benvenuti in Italia.

"Welcome to Italy" I read and start to open the box.

**A/N So how was it. Remember Adelines name. It'll come up in the story sometime soon.**


	6. Benvenuti In Italia

**Max's POV**

_Dear Max and Justin, _

_Benvenuti in Italia! Max ask Justin what that means…here is a hint it's Italian. How was your trip? I'm sorry about Adeline. God I told her to keep her mouth shut….the nerve of that woman. Anyway settle in to Italy you'll be here for a good chunk of time but not too much time. Don't worry about the money I have it all ready for you. Get some rest and tomorrow head on over to the "Rusinso Manor" it's a little bit south of Rome. Ask For Mika. She helped answer my questions when I was here. She also has a letter for you. _

_Buon divertimento__. __ti amo__  
__tua sorella_

_Alex3_

"When did Alex come to Italy?" I asked Justin

"How'd she know about Adeline?" He asks me.

"I have no idea but I'm thinking its time to crash" I say yawning. "Good Night" I tell Justin and get into bed.

**Justin's Point of View**

I go to the bathroom and change for bed. I put my clothes into the bag and Alex's diary jumps out at me. I pick it up and hop into bed. I try to open it but it will only open to one page.

_July 19th 2011_

_Sometimes I wonder if I was even put into the right family. Justin's so smart. Max well you know about that. I'm Just left in the middle. Me, Alexanrda Russo. Alex to my friends. Wait what friends? Besides Harper. I have no one. Just Harper. And My family. I'm thinking its time I learn a little more about my family. Like ancestry and stuff. Is that weird? I need to do it though. Something inside me just has to know. What if I wasn't meant to be part of this family? What will I do then? I'm going to stop writing. I'm scaring myself now. _

Alex's diary has left me confused. And worried. And scarred. Out of all this though I know one thing for sure. Alex was never the girl we all thought she was. And to that I fall asleep on.

**Max's POV**

I wak up around 3am italian time. I look over at Justin who is sound asleep but he's holding something. Alex's diary. I get up and get it. I get back into bed and open it. It only opens to one page. April 3rd.

_April 3rd 2011_

_My roots say I'm Italian. But I feel as if I'm nothing. Just a girl. I don't even fell like a Russo ,but thats beside the point. Anyway today I ran into Jackie Long. We were in the same 3rd grade class. Me and her aren't that great of friends. Well today, I've learned I hate her. She was crying on a park bench and I stopped to ask her why. She told me she was pregnant at 17 with someone elses boyfriend. Apparently that someone elses boyfriend was my boyfriend. Mason. Yep My Mason knocked up Jackie. Well that would be the end of us. I didn't tell anyone else why we broke up. Just that I wasn't feeling it anymore. Well except for Maxi now. But I trust you Max._

"Woah" I whisper to myself. Alex was more then just Alex. She was a deeper, more understanding person. To bad she didn't portray hersekf that way. Tears brim over my eyes. I miss her. How I wish that I could read more of her diary but evenmore so do I wish that she was still here.

**A/N So what did you think...When you reviwew tell me if you;d like to hear the backstory on how Alex and Mason broke up...if you don't want to tell me that aswell...I'm thinking of adding it as a chapter or part of a chapter but I'm not sure Thanks you guys rock!**


	7. Little Ms Perky

**A/N: It's been forever since I've written, but im going to continue! Here's some more, If ya'll have any comments, questions or ideas…message or review them to me! Haha! Happy reading!**

Max POV.

I shake Justin awake. We need to get going, I need to find the answers.

"Whaat?" Justin groans.

"Justin, we're in Italy and all you want to do is sleep? Come on. Lets get going" I say, still rapidly pushing him back and forth.

"I'm coming, coming. Jeez." Justin rolls out of bed and throws on some clothes. 10 minutes later our cab is pulling up to Rusinso Manor. It's a really big house but it's in a neighborhood. The strange thing is, it's not a tourist attraction. It's a normal house in a neighborhood south of Rome. We walk to the front door, and knock on it. A women about moms age answers it.

"Can I help you?" she asks clearly annoyed.

"Is there a Mika around?" Justin asks her.

"MIKA" the women calls into the house. A girl just older than me comes up behind the women.

"Yes mama"

"These boys are asking for you" She says.

"Max….Justin?" she asks in this voice that reminds me of Alex.

"that's us" I say. She grins.

"I've been waiting for you guys! Come in! We have lots to talk about boys" She beams and leads us into the house. We sit down in the dining room. There's a family portrait on the wall, the family is just like ours. A dad, A mom, two boys and a girl.

"So, how do you know alex?" I ask her. She smiles again. God she' s perky.

"Well it's a long story how we met, but that's not important right now. Alex really helped me out when I was in a rough patch. I'll be forever grateful for her help but that's not important right now either. What's important is why you're here. When I met Alex, she was on a mission to find her family roots. She wanted to know everything about them. Being a local, I told her all I knew about the Russo family."

"What do you know about the Russo family"

"Oh not much at all." She says still beaming. Why the hell is she so perky? Seriously.

"Well then why were you such a help to Alex?" I ask

"She came to me for support and I gave it to her. We were both going through a hard time in our lives"

"Wait. What were you guys 'going through' ?" Justin asks

"That's not my story to tell" she says to us. She leans into her bag and grabs an envelope. "Here this is for you…I really should be going though"

"But….you didn't give us any information" I protest.

"As much as she wanted…as much as she wanted" She says in a softer voice. "Well bye!" She shows us out. Me and Justin take a seat on the sidewalk outside the house. He rips open the envelope. A picture and a letter fall out. I study the picture. It was taken a while back. Justin, Alex, and I are standing in front of the Ferris Wheel at Coney Island. Our arms are draped around each other and we all have the goofiest smile on our faces. The picture makes my heart hurt. One more day like that, that's all I wish for. I look down at the letter.

_Max & Justin,_

_Hope Italys treating you great. I can't wait for you to see what I have planned for you next. Remember this picture? Remember this day? Me and max dared Justin to eat three rolls of cotton candy, and he threw it all back up right after? Remember how he freaked out when the ferris wheel got stuck at the top? Well…tomorrow you may just get to re-live it..I don't know. Enjoy the rest of your day getting lost in Italy…probably the only free time you'll get ;)_

_Love always,_

_Al_

A/N- love to hear what you think…you know the drill Review


End file.
